In the bread-making process it is known to add bread-improvising and/or dough-improving additives to the bread dough, the action of which, inter alia, results in improved texture, volume, flavour and freshness of the bread as well as improved machinability of the dough.
In recent years a number of enzymes have been used as dough and/or bread improving agents, in particular enzymes which act on components present in large amounts in the dough. Examples of such enzymes are found within the groups of amylases, proteases, glucose oxidases and cellulases, including pentosanases.
EP 321 811 and EP 338 452 disclose the use, in baking, of glucose oxidase in combination with other enzymes (sulfhydryl oxidase, hemicellulase, cellulase). Glucose oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of .beta.-D-glucose with oxygen whereby D-glucono-1,5-lactone and hydrogen peroxide is formed.
Deaminating enzymes, i.e. enzymes which are capable of removing amine groups from some amine containing substrates, are widely occurring in nature and have been found to be produced by many types of organisms including animals, plants and microorganisms. The enzymes catalyze a reaction between the amine containing substrate, water and oxygen resulting in the deamination of the substrate and the concomitant formation of hydrogen peroxide. The deaminating enzymes may contain copper or FAD. The hitherto most extensively described groups of deaminating enzymes are the amine oxidases and the amino acid oxidases.
The use, in baking, of a deaminating oxidase has never been suggested before.
It is the object of the present invention to improve the properties of dough and/or baked products by the use of an deaminating oxidase enzyme.